Senate Considers Toned-Down Version of GMO Labeling DARK Act

Starting next week, Vermont’s grocery aisles will be full of packages with labels showing whether the products contain genetically engineered foods. The state’s major labeling bill—the first in the nation—passed in 2014, yet food companies are still hoping for a last-minute reprieve before the law goes into effect on July 1.

On Thursday, they got a glimmer of hope: The Senate announced a bipartisan bill to create a federal labeling standard for bioengineered foods that would supersede any state regulations. But rather than the simple printed-on-the-package labels that Vermont’s law calls for, the federal bill would allow companies to choose between including simple label, printing a call-in phone number, or utilizing a scannable QR code that would give consumers information on the food’s contents.